


Fridaline

by MarimenCarmen2



Series: El Tigre AU Fics [4]
Category: El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coraline Fusion, Creepy Doll, F/M, Ghosts, Mexican Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-09-02 09:09:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarimenCarmen2/pseuds/MarimenCarmen2
Summary: A adventurous girl who finds an idealized parallel world behind a secret door in her new home, unaware that the alternative world contains a dark and sinister secret.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Couple of things you should know before you read this. There is a black cat called Jorge in this and yes I plan to make him scary because it's so cute and creepy, and Sartana is the other mother, also Frida is sixteen and Manny is eighteen in this hope you enjoy and please don't be rude.

Creepy music box playing as a doll it floated towards her. She reached her hands out, simply waiting for the doll to fall into her hands, fingers long and pointed to the stale air. 

Carefully placing the doll onto her workstation, she admired her work as she undid it.

After she pulled off all of the doll’s accessories, she carefully split the seams at it’s mouth, revealing the stuffing inside. So old fashioned, she thought to herself, pulling it all out. She turned the doll inside out, the inside being a darker, sun-shade tone. Better to fit the child.

Carefully, she filled the doll; sawdust was always a much more comforting feeling than itchy stuffing. With careful stitches, she sewed the mouth back together, pleased with her work so far. She dug through drawers, pulling out her materials and setting them up neatly next to his station. First, the eyes; vivid blue-black buttons, sewed on neatly.

This child’s hair would be quite a pain, but if there was one thing this being knew how to do, it was improvise. She got wool off of his shelf, not even spun yet. She silently thanked herself for saving the last bits of the blue-dyed wool, it saved her so much time.

After finishing stitching it in, she began work on the clothes. Nothing but a striped red shirt and jeans, that was all she needed to make for it to be convincing. She laughed to herself, thinking silently, this one will be easy.

She held it up to the same creaking window, feeling that same stale air pull at the doll. Beckoning it back to the wavering night sky it had fallen from. She carefully released it, watching it float away.


	2. Chapter 2

The car bumped along as they pulled into the dirt driveway, Frida looking out the window. A small moving truck had already parked outside of the apartment building, the people who had driven it pulling out boxes and furniture and bringing them into the house.

As the movers finished up, a slightly bitter looking blond gave Carmela a clipboard. She signed it, giving a crumpled up 10 dollar bill for tip. The boy looked at the bill, scoffing. “I hate this job,” He muttered, walking away.

Emiliano was a tall and muscular man with blue hair. Carmela, on the other hand, had brown hair tied up in a ponytail in a feeble attempt to keep her hair out of her tired, blue eyes.

Nikita and Anita were texting their friends.

Maybe gardening would turn out to be more useful than she thought.

Walking down the path, she stopped at a bush, pulling out one of the dead branches. She swung it for a moment, deciding on just taking it with her to find this well.

She walked along the bleak stone paths, looking at the dirty gray stone, walking along the boring dirt paths along the dead grass. 

A clatter in the rocks above stopped her and her thoughts in their tracks. “Hello?” She called. She held up her stick as if she were holding a sword, glaring. “Who’s there?” Her voice was sharp against the quiet forest. At no sound of a reply, she reached to her feet, grabbing a small stone and chucking it into the rocky ledge above her.

An animal yowled at being hit with the rock, stunningly human in it’s yelp. Frida jumped at the sound.

She ran, sprinting down a windswept hill, dashing through a dead grove of fruit trees before tripping over a piece of rotting wood and falling right into a pile of mud. She grunted, pulling herself up quickly as her heart raced. She readied her stick, panting as she looked around for the animal.

The sound of footsteps behind her set him off. She turned, facing a set of fierce green eyes as the black cat growled at Frida. She yelled some strange mix of a battle cry and terror, taken by surprise at the cat.

"Gato Estúpido!" She yelled. The cat glared at her. “I’m just looking for some stupid well. Know it?” Frida hated herself for talking to a cat.

He just blinked in reply. Like he could do anything else.

“Not talking, I guess.” She sighed, turning and breathing in the humid air as she brushed the mud off of her bright red hoodie. She let the air rush past her, the storm that was brewing making the wind speed up. Her bright blue hair ruffled in the breeze as she took a moment to relax.

Her moment was gone at the speed of sound when the air was filled with the sound of some woman screaming, along with thunder filling the clouds. Frida jumped, watching a tanned brown-eyed freckled boy tumble down the hill ahead of her, his bike taking the same path.

The kid skidded to a halt, tan skin now covered in mud. He held a hand to this head, fingers grabbing his chocolate black curls as he looked up at Frida.

“Oh. You’re the kid my parents talked about. You’re… Pretty jumpy there, huh?” The stranger’s voice was like something you’d hear out of a kid’s cartoon about high school. This kid was clearly the bad boy stereotype.

“No!” Frida replied with defensively. “And I don’t like being watched. Not by… Chicos Motoristas.” She bitterly stated. The black cat from earlier walked over to the kid, sitting in the mud next to him. “Or their Gatos Estúpidos.”

“Oh! You mean Jorge?” The kid said, looking at the black cat. “He’s not really mine. He’s… Feral as they come, ha.” He scratched the cat’s chin with his gloved hand, letting him purr. “I do feed him, though. And he likes to bring me him… Hunt.”

“Whatever. Papa told me about some stupid well around here. You know it?” Frida spoke casually as she shoved a hand in her pocket, the other relaxing as she held her stick, tapping it on the ground.

“You’ll fall in it if you don’t stop whacking that thing around.” The kid in front of her said. Frida looked at her feet, backing away quickly and wondering how she hadn’t noticed the strange circle of mushrooms earlier. “My dad says that it’s so deep that if you fall, you’ll see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day. But I know that scientifically impossible, as-”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up.” Frida said as she pulled up the wooden panel that covered the well. There was a pause of silence as she looked down the hole before closing it, bored already.

“I’m surprised my parents let you move in. He owns the pink palace. He doesn’t like letting people with kids move in? For some reason?”

Frida grunted in reply.

“I’m Manny. By the way. Manny Rivera.” Manny offered his hand. Frida shook it, pulling away quickly.

“Frida Suarez.” 

“Manny?” Someone called.

“I think someone’s calling you.”

“What? I didn’t-”

“Manuel!” They called again. He muttered under his breath. “Dad,” He said, gathering his bike once again.

“Well, it was great to meet you, Fridaniella.” He said.

Frida glared at him, resenting the name as she swung her stick lightly back and forth.

“Well. I’d wear gloves next time.” Manny said. Frida looked at him inquisitively. “That stick is poison oak.”

Frida let out a small yelp as she throw the stick. She blows a raspberry as Manny started peddling away. Frida just glared at him for a moment before she heard a small meow at her feet. The black cat still sat there, looking smug in his purr.

Frida scoffed at Jorge, turning back to the well. She lifted up the panel, looking into the hole. So deep you see stars in the middle of the day, huh? She thought. She reached behind her, grabbing a pebble to drop into the hole.

She watched as it fell, and once she couldn’t see it, she tried to focus on hearing it. Still, it fell and fell, falling further and further down. After a long stretch of silence, she finally heard the faint splash of the rock falling into the well.

She felt unsettled as she closed the well again, beginning to feel her hand itch.

It’s going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

Frida was moving boxes into her room, itching her red hands periodically. Emiliano, Nikita and Anita were pushing a mattress into the room, as the force of Carmela and Frida together couldn’t do it. 

Frida looked curious as she took the package, if it could even be called that. It was something wrapped up in newspaper, still a little damp from the rain. Frida opened it, pulling out the note inside.

“I found this weird thing in my father’s truck. Thought you might like it. From, Manny.” Frida groaned once again as she unwrapped the newspaper.

Her disdain faded as she looked at the doll. It was unsettlingly like her; big hair, same skin tone, and the button eyes were the very same color as her own. Frida tried to shrug it off, but found herself thinking about it anyways. “I’m too old for dolls anyways.” She muttered, walking out of the room with doll in hand.

Frida sighed as she walked around, stumbling across the computer room, where Carmela was sitting in front of her laptop, editing her resume.

“Hey Mom.” She said

“Hey, kid. Things are boring without wifi, huh?” She said, smiling. The woman always seemed much more friendly when she was in between jobs. Frida actually found her company enjoyable when she wasn’t stressed out 24/7.

“You bet.” Frida replied with simply.

“You make a friend?” She laughed, glancing at the little Frida doll he held. She flushed slightly in reaction, trying her best to play it cool.

“Some kid next door gave it to me. It’s dumb.” She said. “Can I go outside?”

“What did your father say?”

"Don't go outside or you must catch a cold."

“You know, this house is 150 years old. Maybe there’s some cool old things you can find in the attic? Or… I don’t know, look at all the fancy windows from the 1800’s. We’ll go out to the library as soon as we can and pick you out a book, okay?” Carmela said. Frida muttered her agreement, walking away with her doll still in hand.

She did her best to entertain herself as she explored the house. She would try to smooth out the bumps in the carpet leading from the front door, walking away frustrated after enough times of failing. Looking through the leaking windows, exploring the boiler room, quickly running from the bugs that now resided in the bathroom…

It was a mere half hour before she’d explored almost all of the house. She sighed as she walked into the living room, putting her doll down on top of one of the boxes and looking at the painting above the mantle. It pictured a spanish girl. In her hand, she held and ice cream cone, where the ice cream had clearly fallen onto the dry dirt below her. From her baby blue eyes, tears leaked out.

Wow, Frida thought as she stared at the painting, that was depressing. She sighed once more to herself, turning to grab the doll to leave the depressing and gray room.

Her hand simply reached in the empty air, the doll gone from it’s place on the box. Frida hummed curiously, looking around the room. How did that thing move? He was sure she put it down on that box.

Looking around, she spotted the doll on the floor across the room, peeking out from behind a box. Frida huffed as he walked up to it, moving the box out of the way.

But where she had expected the normal gray, dusty wall, she saw the outline of a small door. She looked at it, running her small fingers along the edge. There was definitely something interesting back there. 

But in the living room, Frida use a key to carve into the wallpaper and then unlock the door. Frida unconsciously leaned in curiously, watching as the door opened to reveal…

A wall of bricks. “What?” Frida mentally said inside her head. “I don't get it. Why would they make a door that leads to a wall?” Her eyebrows furrowed, frustrated. She’d been bored for far too long, and being denied this simple adventure just made her more upset.

Emiliano sing a tune to himself as he made dinner. Frida scratched at her poison oak and sat at the dinner table next to Carmela, Nikita and Anita.

“Are you sure this is even edible?” Frida asked, poking her fork into the bowl and letting it stick straight up.

“I know it’s not your ideal meal, but you have to eat. We’re going grocery shopping soon"

“Whatever. I’m gonna go to bed.” Frida quickly jumped out of her chair, holding her doll by the hand as she rushed to the stairs. 

She sighed for a moment and sat up, pulling out the doll and just staring at it for a moment. Touching it’s wooly hair. Fiddling with the hems of it’s jacket. Tapping her button eyes.

What a weird doll, Frida thought, touching it’s tight-knit and well worn fabric. She put it down, sitting it on the chair next to her bed. It’s head flopped to the side, as if it was falling asleep on the chair itself. Frida couldn’t help but smile at it’s human-ness.

Frida bidding a small ‘goodnight’ to her doll as she tucked in Little Fridaniella next to him, closing her eyes and quickly falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Frida wasn’t quite sure of how long it had been when a far-away squeaking woke her up. She turned, putting her pillow over her head in a feeble attempt to block out the noise, but as it drew closer, she couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t just the house.

When it became too much to go back to sleep with, she growled as she sat up in bed, looking around the room fiercely. She leaned down, looking under her bed. She sees a mouse with an oddly long tail sitting under her bed frame. The mouse hopped away, jumping like a kangaroo as it ran under her door.

Frida immediately pursued, swinging her door open fast and chasing the little beast. She ran after the hopping mouse down the stairs and into the living room.

The mouse darted into the crawlspace door that was still barely open. Why would it go there? Frida thought. It’s just a brick wall, it has nowhere to go.

Regardless of her suspicion, Frida pulled open the door to the crawlspace. A breeze flew passed her, ruffling her hair as she lightly gasped at what she saw in place of the brick wall.

A tunnel expanded before her, stretching out to a second door just like the one she had opened. Frida’s eyes shone curiously in the purple and blue swirling lights as she leaned forwards, as if trying to fall into the warm air brushing past her, ruffling her hair.

“Woah.” She muttered to herself. Either her mind was making her see things, or making some crazy dream for her. She decided to believe the latter, carefully placing her palm onto the tunnel’s thin fabric. When it supported her properly, she crawled forwards, venturing to the door the mouse had escaped through.

Frida pushed through the door, careful to touch it. Like it would break if she wasn’t careful. She pulled herself onto the wooden floor, looking around. 

It was the same living room he had been in not even a minutes ago. The walls were somehow brighter, though. Not the same, faded blue-gray that they were before. He looked around, trying to take in this familiar but still all new sensation. Even the painting over the mantle was different; the little girl had not dropped her ice cream, and instead was joyously eating it.


	5. Chapter 5

Frida stretched, groaning as she felt her joints pop into place. She blinked open her blue eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the morning light streaming through her window. She sighed as she looked around the room thinking. What was that dream last night? She thought as she stood up, glancing at doll who still sat on the chair.

As the kid absentmindedly went to scratch her poison oak, she felt the skin there having softened. Looking at it, she saw that the rash had completely gone away. Okay, she thought, that’s weird but okay.

She grabbed the doll and walked downstairs, curious as she tip-toed into the living room, carefully reaching to the crawlspace door. And yet, when she opened it, it was that same brick wall that had been there yesterday. Frida huffed, falling back to sit down on the floor.

Frida stepped out into the crisp August air, noticing that it felt more like autumn than summer. She closed the door behind her before putting her hands back in her pockets, trying to warm the cold skin. She’d need gloves soon enough.

As she started to walk down the steps, she felt her foot knock into a tower of packages, all labeled for a “Wordplay”. She looked at the now fallen pile of packages, picking them up and looking at the names. If she was going to go and meet the neighbors, she might as well bring the mail up for them, too.

Frida made her way up the metal stairs as they creaked. She knocked on the door, calling out. “Hello? The mail got mixed up.” She yelled. No answer. She knocked once again, trying one more time to see if someone would respond.

When the door creaked open, she peeked behind, curious as to why the neighbors would just leave their door open. She looked around, glancing at the half-apartment. It barely had furniture, just a very old television and a rocking chair with an old woman sitting in it, knitting.

“Did someone say something?” She asked. Frida could practically hear her bones creaking like old wood, to which she shuddered. A chicken stood atop a few boxes of who knew what, clucking curiously at the kid who looked inside the apartment.

“AH-HAH!” Someone yelled behind Frida. She jumped, screaming as she dropped the packages on the ground. The man was much taller than Frida, dark red locks curled at his shoulders like he was from the 17th century. Red eyes glistened fiercely as he pointed at Frida, running up and approaching her quickly. “I knew you were suspicious! Trying to see the play before it’s ready, I knew-”

“Dios Mio,” Frida started. “Calm down. I was just bringing up mail.” She held out her hand to gesture at the boxes on the ground, to which Shakespeare-man gasped at.

“I see, you’re a clever one! Using this mix-up to see my famous mouse play before it’s ready. I know-”

Frida cut him off before he could continue. “Do you ever shut up? I’m Frida Suarez.”

“I’m Chakal! You just moved in downstairs, right?” Frida nodded in reply. “I’m Chakal! I better get these cheeses to the mice, they have a lot of training to do and need motivation!” Chakal moved across the balcony to his door, opening it up and then turning back to Frida. “But, until then, I bid you farewell, Fridaniella.” He bowed far too deeply and crab walked back inside his house, closing the door.

Frida huffed in reply. “It’s just Frida.”

She shook off the thought sighing and walking back down the stairs. She shoved her hands back in her pockets, walking around the building as she thought of nothing specific. Her mind travelled, going anywhere to keep himself entertained.

“FRIDANIELLA! Wait just a moment!” Chakal yelled from his balcony. Frida gawked as the middle aged man decided jumping off the balcony would be a good idea, watching as he landed clumsily on the ground.

Frida screamed "Dios Mio are you okay?!"

“Frida! The mice told me to tell you something!” Chakal said as he looked up from the dirt path he had fallen on, a bruise already forming on his cheek. No, he’s not. He stood up, brushing off the dirt from his outfit.

“The mice. Of course, why wouldn’t they talk to you?” She said sarcastically.

“They told me to tell you… Not to go in the little door? I have no idea what it means, but those mice tend to be right! They’re smarter than they look…” Chakal spoke dramatically and expressively, looking suspiciously into the distance.

“Yeah, I’m sure they are. Listen, I’m a busy person, I have stuff to do.” Better things than hang around with people who talk to their mice actors, Frida thought after finishing.

“Yes, of course! I’m very sorry, sometimes they can say weird things. They just make no sense sometimes! Ha!” Chakal finished, standing awkwardly. They sat in silence for a moment, Chakal fidgeting with the hem of his- What were they called again? Frida thought it was something like a ruff? “Well! I best get going back to the mice. Have a nice day, Fridaniella!”

And then Chakal ran away once again, up the stairs and back into his apartment.

Are there any normal kids in this neighborhood?

Frida said "My name is Frida!? Ugh crazy grown ups"


	6. Chapter 6

Frida barely had to knock on the downstairs door when the barking started. A long-haired chihuahua was barking up a storm as it jumped up to the window, scratching and yapping at it. Frida waited for someone to open the door.

“Oh, come on, Luis! You can’t do this every time-” A old woman with gray hair opened the door, she gasped at the sight of Frida. She grabbed the cloche hat on her head and readjusted it. “You’re the kid who moved in upstairs!” Frida could barely hear her over the dog that still barked at her, front paws on his leg to help it reach up.

“Uh, hey, Luis.” She said unsurely, reaching down to pet the dog. It moved away quickly, walking away with it’s nose in the air. A second dog barged through, a tiny golden dog missing an eye. This one jumped, barking fiercely. Frida would have been afraid of it biting her, had it not been so little and harmless looking.

“Hi i'm Ms Chiquita" The old woman said. 

“I’m Frida.” She simply introduced herself. She walked into the apartment, looking around at the plethora of mexican horror movie and vaudeville posters. 

Ms Chiquita led Frida to the living room, where a big shaggy-looking dog laid on the couch. “Come on, Sol!” Ms Chiquita called to the dog, prompting her to lift her head and open her blue eye, the other covered with fur. Sol jumped off the couch and walked up to Frida, simply sniffing her the moving on.

Frida sat down on the couch, looking around, but she heard old tango music.

Ms. Chiquita called "Margarita get your butt on the dance floor!"

A voice called "I tried to dance por favor!"

A mexican old woman came out of the kitchen, swagging her hips to the music.

Frida's jaw dropped.

Frida padded up the stairs. She breathed in the humid air, looking at the thick fog that swirled at her waist. 

A small tip-toeing of feet was heard from somewhere in the fog. She stopped, listening for it. More tapping on the damp ground behind her, getting closer-

Frida turned and grabbed a handful of black curls, a loud “Yeow!” coming from their owner. “Hey, what was that fo-” Manny stopped in his tracks seeing Frida glaring at him.

"Great Fridaniella came to stalk me.”

“I-I wasn’t stalking you!"

“We?”

As if prompted, Jorge’s head poked out of Manny’s hood, letting out a small mrow. The cat’s green eyes met with Frida’s blue. 

Frida nervously giggled.

Jorge growled at this, opening his mouth as if to say something but just letting out a hiss.

“So, did you make that doll look like me? Or did you just find it?” Frida asked

“It was in my dad’s trunk, it’s probably older than he is anyways. Old as the house, I’d guess? Maybe even older.” He said. 

“Come on. It looked just like me. Eyes, hoodie, hair-”

"Found it!"

It was quiet for a moment, comfortably and peacefully. Manny stared at the house, eyes just looking at it. Frida noticed. “What’re you looking at?”.

“Oh! Um,” Manny looked almost bashful for a moment. “I’ve just… Never actually been inside the house. My dad would kill me if he found out. Says it’s dangerous in there?” He explained, hands held at his chest nervously.

Frida was curious. “Dangerous?”

“Well… When he was a kid, a friend moved into the house. Then he just disappeared.”

“So? The kid could have run off or something,” Frida said. Jorge peeked up from behind Manny’s head of curls. Manny didn’t seem to take notice, as he kept talking.

“Dad says he was stolen? I don’t know.” Jorge jumped down from Manny’s hood as he talked, preferring to look at Frida’s pockets and scratch at them. Though his legs were too short to reach. “I think there’s a much more reasonable explanation for it. I just can’t figure it out yet.”

“Stolen. Yeah, sure.” Frida was clearly skeptical, and shooed the cat away from her pocket. He hissed at it, going back up Manny’s coat and sitting in his hood again.

“Manuel!” Someone yelled. Manny jumped at that. 

“I-I better get going. I, uh… Hope you like the doll?” He said, pulling his bike up from the fog and beginning to pedal away. Frida watched as Manny left, fog swirling around him as he disappeared into it.


	7. Chapter 7

Before she could catch the mouse, it turned to the living room, hopping into the same, barely open door. She launched herself into the room, opening the door and watching the portal expand in front of her, the same purple and blue hues swirling through the breeze that drifted through.

Frida told herself it was just another dream, but how could it be? Plus, if this was a dream, she’d be able to control what happened. She could have caught the mice, but no. They were certainly leading her here.

She pulled herself through the tunnel, looking onto the happier looking living room.

"Hello Frida"

"Hello Dad"

Frida decided to go outside.

Mom would never have the time to garden. She thought, walking out the door and looking at the broken down garden. It was still just as dim and lifeless as it was in the real world, which she considered odd.

As the moon rose slowly above the horizon, the garden lit up, bushes of flowers blossoming under the light. Frida was not usually one to be so stunned by pretty gardens and flowers, but this was amazing regardless; flowers lighting up, suddenly beating with life and glowing under the moonlight.

She awed at the sight, eyes wide as the flowers awoke around her. She walked into the garden, her feet tapping barefoot on the warm stone that was not being lit up by the newfound life of the scenery.

"Mama i love you garden!"

But the flowers tickled Frida which makes her laugh.


	8. Chapter 8

Frida went to Miracle City Cemetery.

But Manny appeared behind Frida.

"BOO!"

Frida screamed

"Manuel I'm gonna..."

"Trust me I know ghostly dances I could see them"

Frida said "Wait you mean...."

Manny said "Yes I remember my first encounter"

Flashback opens

Manny was meditating until he saw a bark.

It was a cute ghostly Chihuahua bus.

Manny gasped as his eyes widen in awe.

Manny began to ride on a ghost Chihuahua bus.

Manny said "Wow you know how to drive"

Later, Manny returned to his room.

Flashback closes

Frida's jaw dropped.

Frida said "You....rode....a...ghostly.....chihuahua bus!?"

Manny said "I told my family and friends but everyone thinks it's a dream the bullies even call it a stupid dream. Look Fridaniella what we do say we prove that my parents tell urban legends"

Frida and Manny shake hands.


End file.
